Has E-bay sellers lost their minds?

[Bob in Albany N.Y.]

Sorry if the following upsets any fellow members.

So help me out here. What the heck has happen to E-bay? Have some of the sellers gone mad? Especially the ones with buy it now options. Will a couple of my fellow orchid growers, go over to E-bay and just put in orchid for the search word and restrict the search to buy-it now only options. The prices, are insane for the buy it now prices and they are getting worst by the minute. I'm talking all orchids, not just paphs., however I do see a micranthum that has been posted for two months. Yes, the buy it now price has possible gone down, but who would buy such a poor quality flower at a premium price? I only mention the micranthum as we as slipper lovers may have seen it. This is just one of many cases that I see. Are these sellers, betting on a few lost soles that just hit the buy it now price? Do these sellers, not care about the orchid hobbyist?

Does, anyone out there know if you don't sell something on E-bay if you can just keep listing it forever without an additional fee? I ask as many of these plants I see over and over and over and they never sell. I'm not trying to pick on anyone, not even the micranthum seller, but all these unethical sellers. Or maybe it's just me.

If I offended anyone by this post I apologize as that is not my intention. I just would like someone to explain this to me and possible get a discussion going on the matter. We as hobbyist are trying to get more people involved in our hobby, yet some of these newbies, get fed to the wolves.

 

[troy]

True!!

 

[Chicago Chad]

Bob ebay is now charging a cut for shipping and also asking for a relisting fee. If you only have listed a few items, it is free. Those sellers you are referring to are paying to keep them up time and time again.

I agree with you, most sellers are asking way too much for too little, but every once in a while, I can still score a great deal.

Not sure if you use the dreaded Facebook, but Brett Moloney and I are moderating a group for orchid species sales. It's a great place to get species at lower costs because sellers aren't subject to the same fees. If you are on Facebook, I encourage you and others here to take a look. It is an international group and we are growing in participants. By the way, I do not benefit from any sales unless they are my plants.

(sales-orchid species journal group)

 

[ehanes7612]

buyer beware

 

[dodidoki]

Okay, there is an exul fma album on ebay for 600 USD. It could be a reasonable price for a very rare -maybe the only-plant, if the buyer is a vendor and plan to self it and propagate . BUT, there is no evidence that this plant is a real one and even more there is no photo of plant attached. Who will thow 600 USD out for an "unknown" plant?

 

[Chicago Chad]

You are talking about Achima. His plants are legit but you are right, no one would know until it blooms.

I can personally say that I would reorder from him whenever possible and have numerous times. If you so felt inclined to order from him you must send him a copy of all the import paperwork and demand it's displayed on the outside of the box, otherwise the plants may be sent otherwise and potentially in violation of your local laws.

Aside from that, his paperwork is accepted, plants are healthy, shipping is acceptably fast (5 days to the states), and every plant I have bloomed so far has been right on.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Well, maybe for some of these vendors, e.g. Achima, they want to see its flower, and the price they're will to sell is $600 for unbloomed; but maybe once he's bloomed and seen the flower, he'll reduce it to $200?

Also, maybe he's selling to the high end Japan market and the like, the folks who have the money.

 

[paphioland]

My opinion is that people can sell for whatever price the market can bear as long it is accurately advertised. If it is overpriced people won't buy it.

 

[mrhappyrotter]

My experience with Ebay has been mostly good, though I've had some disappointing experiences. I have noticed that some of the sellers seem to have unreasonable expectations of the worth of their plants, and I wonder if they ever actually do manage to sell those things on Ebay. However, what bugs me is that sellers are allowed to list "blue phalaenopsis" seeds and mix packets of "hardy ladyslipper seeds" with pictures of parvies and instructions for sewing the seeds in soil (yeah right). Those are cheap scams, banking on the fact that people won't really get upset about losing a couple of dollars, or that many won't notice a difference between whatever weed seeds they actually sold you and the photos of the rare chinese orchids in the photos.

 

[Happypaphy7]

Well, they are free to do whatever.
Smart buyers won't be bothered. Others might learn the hard way.

I do see this one seller whose price I find is just ridiculous with lower than average quality flowers, or rather commonly available seedlings.
No need to worry. People usually compare shop. Others who do buy these, well, let them buy what they want.

Speaking of blue phalaenopsis, I remember seeing the photo and it was so easy to tell that it was fake. That is not nice. It's just a scam and need to be reported and taken care of accordingly.

With all this said, my experience on eBay has been great.
Just a couple of time I had frustrations over communications and poor quality plants. won't say who.

 

[jtrmd]

I am starting to go to only my site sales, but a few on ebay. I know i list most of my things for .20 cents for good till canceled style auction. I dont bother looking at too much. I follow the sellers I got good plants from. I like the prices some people are asking for some things.

 

[Marco]

Like most i only follow and buy from sellers that have been vetted. I did roll the dice on one vendor. The plant was crap. Roots were rotted and there was soft scale. However, for the price....i couldn't complain. Plant is doing well and fully recovered. But safe to say i probably won't buy from another unknown eBay vendor unless they've been confirmed. Confirmed not by eBay and how many stars of approval they have on eBay. But rather, confirmed from forums like this one.

 

[jtrmd]

Like most i only follow and buy from sellers that have been vetted. I did roll the dice on one vendor. The plant was crap. Roots were rotted and there was soft scale. However, for the price....i couldn't complain. Plant is doing well and fully recovered. But safe to say i probably won't buy from another unknown eBay vendor unless they've been confirmed. Confirmed not by eBay and how many stars of approval they have on eBay. But rather, confirmed from forums like this one.

Don't they check the condition of the plant before selling? I guess some people are out to make a buck.I did get scale on a Lycaste a few years ago. Took 3 treatments to get rid of it. Its not that hard to check a plant while packing it. The buyer would rather have a refund than the bugs.

 

[abax]

I don't do a lot of buying on ebay, but I do check the reviews and I always ask here on ST for opinions. I now
have three ebay sellers I trust. The only advice I have is do your research before buying.

 

[JAB]

First of all if they are going to ebay then I am not sure they are actual hobbyists interested in the perpetuation of our hobby?! Most people I have met that shop ebay are looking for a "bargain," a "steal" regardless of what it is they are buying. Of course there are exceptions, but overall folks who use ebay are not concerned with bigger pictures.

We as consumers have the power to influence such things. Shop only from quality producers, and give more time/money to the mom and pop shops like Hillsview Orchids, Fox Valley, etc. in lieu of the Norman Fang's out there. If we are discretionary of whom we give our business it will be reciprocal.

 

[C. Rothschild]

I mean I've gotten some unhealthy plants on ebay but there's always a risk no matter who you buy from. Like after you buy from a good mom and pop shop your plant could still die. It might not like the environment or repotting or whatever.

 

[JAB]

True. But it has been my experience, limited, that the smaller the shop, the more care goes into customer relations. For instance I had a couple problems with two paphs I got from Lucky Girl. Contacted her immediately and she rectified the problem. I was happy, and in the end she made even more because I figured I would get one or two more since she was shipping me the replacement anyways. Win win, and I will always be a customer of Laima's!

 

[Marco]

Admittedly I do go to eBay for bargains. But only from vendors I know.

Also, I kind of like the bidding process. It's fun. I usually have a ceiling in my head before I quit bidding but sometimes I blow right by that ceiling.

 

[SlipperFan]

I hate bidding. If I want a plant, and the price is reasonable, I'll buy it.

 

[JAB]

Agreed Dot.